Stark Industries

Chapter 30: Stark Industries

The battle where Kyle and Steve rescued the prisoners concluded with a complete victory.

That same day, after submitting the battle report along with intelligence maps to Captain Brant, Kyle didn't even wait to confirm his military merits. After cleaning up with Steve and changing into formal shirts, he immediately went to meet Howard, Carter, and the others.

After all, before rescuing the hostages, Howard had promised to treat them to fondue, and that couldn't be casually brushed aside.

Howard was a rich tycoon! They couldn't be polite with him!

So, at Kyle's strong suggestion, they boarded Stark's plane that very day and flew to a nearby city to attend a banquet and have dinner.

Howard wasn't just rich; he was also very gentlemanly and romantic. The place he invited the three of them to was naturally not some ordinary restaurant.

The golden lights at the hotel entrance were dazzlingly luxurious, a clean red carpet covered the ground, the security guards were dressed as gentlemen in suits, and the receptionists were all attractive beauties in short skirts.

"Howard, you really know how to live," Kyle commented. Howard kept a noncommittal smile and led the three of them into the hotel.

Howard was clearly a regular here. The receptionists didn't even confirm his identity; upon seeing him arrive, they fawningly stepped forward, batting their eyelashes and offering all sorts of VIP services.

The dining hall on the first floor was much more understatedly luxurious than the exterior. Under the gentle glow of classical lighting, musicians played the violin, and guests dined elegantly to the music. Most of the people here were either rich or noble, showing no signs of worry or trouble from the war in the outside world.

However, just as Howard was about to ask the front desk receptionist to find a table for four, Kyle spoke up first, asking the staff to find two separate tables for two.

Upon hearing this, Howard's face lit up with joy: "Tables for two? Second Lieutenant Kyle, you understand me so well. You're letting me and the beautiful Carter have dinner together tonight."

"You're thinking too much," Kyle rolled his eyes and looked at Carter, who was next to Steve. Tonight, she was no longer dressed in the usual military skirt suit she wore year-round.

Carter was wearing a strapless long dress that suited the occasion. Her already exceptional beauty, enhanced by a touch of makeup, made her look even more stunning.

Her perfectly fitting red long dress also accentuated her mature figure, which had been previously concealed, making her curves alluringly prominent.

"As I promised, I'll bring Steve back safely. I haven't broken my word," Kyle said to Carter. Without waiting for her response, he patted Steve's shoulder again: "You take Carter to dine first."

"Ah!" Steve exclaimed in surprise at first, then quickly nodded: "Oh, understood."

I'm creating an opportunity for you, seize it, brother.

Kyle chuckled inwardly. He didn't have any particular feelings for Carter, so there was no sense of regret.

More importantly, tonight's objective wasn't just to enjoy this lavish dinner.

"Please follow me," the receptionist said, bowing affectionately and gesturing towards the dining area with her hand, leading Steve and Carter to their seats first.

"Ah. Carter just left like that?" Howard's face was full of disappointment. He glanced at Kyle and said hesitantly, "Are the two of us big men going to dine together? Or a two-person meal?"

"Whether you dine or not is up to you. To be frank, I have something else I want to discuss with you tonight," Kyle shrugged.

"Something else?" Howard looked at Kyle curiously.

Kyle said meaningfully, "For the specific matter, let's find a place to sit down and talk first."

The basement level of the hotel building.

This place had a different style from the main lobby on the first floor. Under the dim lighting, gentlemen and women of various statuses let loose amidst the music, dancing with abandon.

The waitstaff holding wine glasses were dressed even more revealingly, wearing scantily clad bunny girl maid outfits. Their bare chests and long legs were very eye-catching.

Howard led Kyle to sit at the bar counter. On the way, he openly squeezed the hips of a few passing bunny girls, demonstrating his flirtatiousness without losing his gentlemanly demeanor.

The Stark family, as expected, all had the disposition of playboys.

Kyle muttered inwardly and ordered a vodka from the bartender, while Howard ordered a cocktail.

"Well then. Let's have a toast, to World War II," Howard said elegantly, raising his glass, uttering a surprising statement.

Kyle looked at him in surprise and asked, "Is it worth being happy about a war happening?"

"Of course. For someone like me who studies scientific strategy, weapons of mass destruction, and advanced technology, it's hard to even do my job without war," Howard said with a smile, looking at Kyle. "Isn't it the same for you? Without war, you wouldn't have been able to be promoted from recruit to second lieutenant in just a few weeks."

"I have to say, your perspective on benefits is quite strong," Kyle chuckled dumbfoundedly and raised his glass to clink with Howard's.

War has its advantages and disadvantages. For those who are capable, it is an unprecedented opportunity; for those who are not, it is a disaster to be deeply abhorred.

Howard took a sip of his drink and said, "Don't keep me in suspense. If you have something to discuss with me, just say it directly. Otherwise, I'll go flirt with the ladies."

Kyle nodded and got straight to the point: "Alright, I'll be direct—I want shares in Stark Industries."

"You want to become a partner in my company?" Howard was a little surprised, tapping his fingers on the table. "Can you tell me why?"

Kyle drank his wine and stated definitively, "It's very simple. I believe in the inherent potential of Stark Industries. In the future, it will undoubtedly be the top strategic and scientific manufacturing producer on this planet. Most importantly, I believe in you; you are an absolute top-tier genius."

"I must say, you have excellent foresight," Howard said, hearing a satisfactory answer. He was, after all, an exceptional genius with ample reason for his pride.

"Due to the wartime period, my current work focus is still on national scientific and strategic research. Although Stark Industries, which I've established, hasn't made much progress yet, it has already achieved results in the anti-gravity project and will involve more scientific fields in the future. If the war ends, Stark Industries will develop at lightning speed!"

Howard said this and looked at Kyle seriously, saying, "It's not that I'm looking down on you. I've seen your file. You don't have much personal assets, and even a colonel's salary isn't that high. How exactly do you plan to invest in Stark Industries?"

Even as friends, shares in Stark Industries wouldn't be given away blindly.

Kyle naturally understood this. He dared to directly discuss shares with a proud genius like Howard because he had sufficient trump cards.

"What I'm investing isn't money, but the future."

As he said this, he took out a rectangular, slightly thin machine from his pocket and placed it on the bar counter.

The front of the machine was a screen made of almost an entire piece of tempered glass, with a tiny camera. The back was a smooth metal casing, with a prominent indented Apple logo in the middle.

That's right, it was a phone! An iPhone!